“I know that my father’s spirit lives on,” she told the Democratic convention in a speech that she gave somewhat stiffly and nervously, but with a winning, shy smile.

“Now, it is our turn to prove that the New Frontier was not a place in time but a timeless call. Now we are the New Frontier … It is up to us,” she said.

Over and over, she asked the crowd to work for Gore and running mate Joe Lieberman to continue her father’s dream – but pointedly said not one word about President Clinton.

The rare public speech by the very private mom-of-three was part of a five-Kennedy convention blitz that co-starred her uncle, Sen. Ted Kennedy, on what might be dubbed Liberal Night for Democrats.

It came the day after Clinton kicked off the convention with a speech that many analysts critiqued for saying too much about himself and not enough about Gore, who trails Republican George W. Bush in polls.

Ted Kennedy also led the nostalgia chorus for Gore, in a speech that again left out Clinton, as if trying to push him firmly offstage. Gore mediaman Bob Shrum helped write both Kennedys’ speeches.

“There have been only three times in my life that I have supported candidates for president as early and as enthusiastically as I have supported Al Gore. Two of them were my brothers,” Ted Kennedy said.

That sounded as if Kennedy – whose own losing presidential bid was haunted by personal scandals – feels more enthusiastic about Gore than about the Sexgate president.

But the focus on figures from the past – such as Kennedy and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who ripped into Bush and blasted his home state of Texas – raised eyebrows because they underscored that Gore still needs to solidify the Democratic base.

“I can’t see how that can appeal in any way to moderates or independents,” said Republican analyst Rich Galen. “It’s hard to look like the party of the future with all these figures from the past.”

Jackson (who wasn’t given a prime-time slot) served up red meat as he had the crowd chanting, “Stay out of Bushes!” and claimed – wrongly – that Republicans never mentioned AIDS or Africa at their convention two weeks ago.

Jackson also painted Bush’s home state of Texas as a horrible place to live or raise kids and, in a spin on a Texas line, zinged at the GOP nominee: “Don’t mess with America.”

Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer shot back: “The American people will not support old-style attack politics, and tonight’s speech will be remembered as the type of partisanship and bitterness that they would prefer to leave behind.”

Democrats last night also recognized key constituent groups with speeches by gay- and abortion-rights advocates, as well as labor leaders, plus a brief, little-noticed keynote by Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.), a young black lawmaker, and a speech by defeated Gore rival Bill Bradley.

Polls show Gore needs a boost – a Los Angeles Times poll and the bipartisan Battleground Poll put him 9 points behind Bush, and the Times poll found he trails by 12 points among likely voters.

Widely varying polls over the past week have shown Bush’s lead ranging from 3 to 16 points – but virtually every national poll since March has put him ahead, and he also leads in a huge majority of states.

Caroline Kennedy also evoked the memory of her brother, JFK Jr. – who died with his wife and sister-in-law when he crashed his plane last summer – as she appealed to voters to back Gore.

“I thank all Americans for making me and John, and all our family, a part of your families – for reaching out and sustaining us through the good times and the difficult ones, and for helping us to dream my father’s dream,” she said.

But while she praised Gore, Caroline – introduced by her maiden name rather than her married name of Schlossberg – saved her warmest praise for her uncle, saying: “No senator has ever achieved more.”